FOR OBSERVATION OF AND/OR PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE WITH CHILDREN AND YOUTH WITH DISABILITIES

To be eligible for consideration for admission to the teacher certification program with a disciplinary major in special education, the student must also have completed one or two supervised pre-admission experiences totaling at least 42 hours in the area of emphasis that the student will select to meet the requirements for the bachelor’s degree.  Prospective special education students are strongly encouraged to talk with faculty in special education about the potential value of sites for securing the required experience.  Prospective applicants to the special education program must submit a form verifying completion of the experience. Current MSU students who apply in the fall have until the first week of spring semester in the same academic  year to submit their forms. Transfer students must submit their forms at the time of matriculation at MSU.  Although applicants to the special education major will not be ranked by their performance in the experience, only students who have completed the required experience will be considered for admission.

The purpose of a volunteer experience requirement is to offer students considering Teacher Education and a major in an emphasis area of Special Education an opportunity to visit, observe, and interact with children and youth who are disabled, in existing settings under the direction of an experienced teacher or supervisor.  This opportunity may assist you in learning whether you might enjoy Special Education teaching and consultation; and provide you with a foundation for acquiring the knowledge and skills you will need if you are admitted to a Program.

You are encouraged to seek out and consider sites of various types in your home community for observation and gaining experience with children and youth with disabilities.  Typically, local school districts and intermediate school districts maintain educational programs for pre-school and school-age students, where teachers certified in special education teach special needs students and collaborate with the children's regular education teachers, parents, therapists, and other school personnel to plan and implement an effective education for the children.  Other agencies, both public and private, also offer services to families and children with disabilities.  These services range from providing evaluations and teaching physical, sensory, mental health, or educational needs, to opportunities for the use of leisure time, such as scouting, recreation, camps, after-school sports or art, music, or dance experiences.  And there are more for you to discover!  Typically, a search for a volunteer experience begins with the discovery of one resource, and leads to other resources which are recommended by your first contact - and so on - until you finally find yourself at a site that matches your goals!  Your telephone directory, local school Director of Special Education, teacher, or parent of a child who is disabled, may help you to get started in finding volunteer experience.  And, of course, MSU advisors in Teacher Education-Special Education will also be available to offer suggestions.  You can complete the volunteer experience when Michigan State is on break and local schools and agencies are still in session, such as December after MSU final exams, during MSU's spring break, or the break in the summer.  The volunteer experience can be divided between two settings, or you can complete it in a single setting.  The minimum number of volunteer hours is 42.

When you have completed the experience, please complete (typed response preferred) and return the Student Reaction Form.  A second form, The Supervisor Reaction Form, should be completed by your site supervisor and mailed to us under separate cover.  Your response is an important part of your application for admission to the Special Education major of your choice, and will be placed in the application folder for review by the Special Education Admission Committee.  Enjoy your volunteer experience!

Note: The Forms are PDF documents which require the free download of Adobe Acrobat.